Passing the torch

[Swiss Ultimate]

One thing that I disagreed with about Bischoff's twitter-rants was simply the idea that what they were doing was very effective.

I agree that big names are going to garner interest in the product and properly using those big names is going to make you money, at least in the short term.

I won't go so far as to agree with Heyman either, I don't think the answer to TNA's plight is simply firing everyone over 40 but, I definitely think there time is clearly up as well. What we need to see is a lot more torch passing from the more seasoned veterans.

What's stopping them?

Money. There's no pension, that I know of anyways, in wrestling. A guy can make a name for himself in the business and find himself waiting tables in his 40s if he hasn't invested his money wisely.

Ego. These guys got into the business, mostly, because they wanted to perform and entertain. It's hard for someone like that to just say, "I'm done, it's the younger guy's turn." Actors usually don't retire for that same purpose, they may work less but, once you have become a performer you're usually one until you die.

Legacy. Fans of wrestling have a notoriously short memory. Even the "smart fans" have trouble remembering those wrestlers before their time. The current generation of fans that are keeping the business afloat have to be educated why they should care about Ric Flair. "Oh, he used to be great? Well, he's old as fuck, senile and he looks like shit. Somebody give him a shirt."

So what exactly is in it for the older guys? I know some of them genuinely love the sport and are trying to help the new breed but, what is the business going to do for the veterans? Maybe, hiring them on the corporate side like in the WWE? Coming up with a pension plan for guys whose entire lives after becoming wrestlers are spent on the road?

Until these issues can be addressed, the old veterans are not going to merely step aside.